The Path That Laid Unchosen
by Technokitty818
Summary: What would happen if Iroh and Aang didn't burst in on Katara and Zuko down in the crystal cavern? Ba Sing Se never fell to the Fire Nation, so with an actual army, the fight against the enemy is very different. Though, when all is fair in love and war, morals can become twisted in the fray. Zutara, Taang, Sukka. Dark. Rated T-14 and up. Minor swearing, adult situations, and death.
1. Zuko : I

**My first Avatar Fanfic. Enjoy!**

**AU: Cross Roads of Destiny; Please disregard any information that we receive after this episode, and the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe" didn't happen. Thanks. **

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**Zuko's POV**

"I don't know if it would work, but..." she trailed off nervously her hand still on my face. I stared at her in shock. Here was a girl that I hardly knew. The only contact she had had with me was fighting and kidnapping, and she was offering to take away the mark of my greatest mistake. It was almost too good to be true. I held my breath in fear that anything could ruin the moment.

**(Here is where it turns AU people)**

The water could be used for nearly anything in the world, and she wanted to heal _me _with it. All I had to do was nod. It would be so easy to just get rid of it, to never have to see the consequences of my cowardice that day. I wanted to take the offer so badly. I looked into her eyes once more to try and see if I could spot any speck of dishonesty. All there was though was a peaceful sort of sadness, not pity, but it was like she understood.

"Why? Why me? I don't even remember your name, much less deserve your kindness," I said quietly, her eyes widened by my words, but still her hand did not move from my face. A small smile stretched across her lips as she looked at me.

"One; it's Katara," her other hand poked me in the chest, and I let out a small gasp. "And you better remember it. Second; no one deserves to look at themselves and be reminded of what they did in the past," her voice choked up at the last part of the sentence. I wanted, no needed, to know what she had done in the past that made her sympathize with me. I brought my hand up and rested it on top of the one that she had placed on my face.

"What ever you could have done, was in no way as bad as what I have," I said softly. I had no clue where all of this was coming from, and on the inside I was a raging war of emotions. Part of me wanted to take her hostage and wait until the Avatar arrived so I could use her as a bargaining chip; that was quickly becoming a very minor train of thought though. A majority of me was appalled at how wishy-washy I was being; uncle would most definitely be proud. Lastly, there was a part of me that just wanted to let her talk, and never leave this cave. For once I decided to listen to the one that made the least logical sense.

"Katara," I said, testing the name out on my lips, "I don't need-"

"I was a coward," she blurted out. Her head was tilted downwards and her eyes were slammed shut. I felt her hand slip from underneath mine, and she turned away. Something inside of me cried out for her to come back, but I was frozen in place.

"I was a coward," the cave was so quiet I could hear her whisper the four word phrase over and over again. She looked back at me with tears in her eyes. I could see a deep loathing there, but it wasn't for me, it was for herself. That look brought me out of my trance.

"I guess that's another thing we have in common," her eyes widened once more in shock. I seemed to be able to do that a lot to her. "My scar; that's how I got it. I was a coward. I pleaded and begged for forgiveness, but no matter what I did..." I trailed off. Once again my turbulent emotions clashed against each other. Everything that I stood for; apathy, privacy, the chance to restore my honor, was about to be betrayed all so I could connect with one girl. Surprisingly it didn't scare me as much as I thought it would.

"I spoke out against a cabinet member during a war meeting; it had been my first. My punishment was an Agni Kai," I heard her gasp. Who knew, the water tribe girl knew her history. "I thought it would be against the cabinet member. He was old and frail, and I thought I could take him."

"It wasn't against him though, was it?" she asked in a soft voice. I didn't realize that I had closed my eyes, I shook my head.

"No, it was against my father," complete silence reigned in the cavern. I took a deep breath and continued. "I couldn't bring myself to fight against him, so I begged for forgiveness. For my troubles, I was banished, and, well..." I gestured to the side of my face. She stood a few paces away from me, with a hand over her mouth and tears streaming down her face. She brought her hand down and wrapped herself in a hug, while a resentful smile inched its' way onto her face; I didn't like the look on her.

"And I thought my father was jerk," she said quietly. For some reason the thought of Katara standing in the inner sanctum of the Fire Nation, staring up at my father, and calling him a jerk came unbidden in my mind. The scene was so vivid that I nearly laughed. Katara looked over at me and gave a small frown.

"You laughing at me now?" she asked her eyes stormy. I immediately curbed my smile.

"No, just... What I wouldn't give to see my father's face if heard you had called him a jerk," the smile that I had tried to curb was back, and this time she had one to match.

"Family issues on your end?" I said, hoping we could continue this shaky peace.

"Not as bad as yours I guess, but yeah," she rubbed her hand against her necklace. At this point we were sitting against the cavern wall side by side. I turned my head so I could watch her as she told her story.

"When I was just eight years old the black snow came. Everyone in the tribe knew that was the sign of a fire nation ship. Soon enough we saw them come over the horizon at top speed. They were at our encampment within minutes. The warriors went out to fight them, and it was a bloodbath, Few of the men survived, one who did though, was my father.

"I was inside our igloo helping my mom make dinner. When she heard the ruckus she told me to stay underneath the blankets and not say a word, afraid that if she sent me out of the tent that I would die in the fray. She took off her necklace and placed it in my hand, telling me to hold onto it. Then she sat there calmly as the flaps that covered our door moved aside, and a fire nation general walked in," I shifted a bit closer as her words got softer. I could feel the tension in the air, and I could see the tears continually streaming down Katara's face.

"He walked over to where my mother sat, with his back facing me. The words they said were muffled, but I can still remember them. He asked my mother where the last water-bender was. She denied having any knowledge, said that all of the water-benders had been taken away. He screamed at her and grabbed her shoulders, saying that his informant was reliable and that there still was one water-bender left, and that they wouldn't leave until they found the person.

"All I could do was lie there watching as my mother claim that she was the last one. She offered herself up if they would just leave the village, but he said that they weren't taking any prisoners." She choked on a sob as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The part of me that was appalled about how mushy I was being was strangely quiet. She continued her story.

"I could have done something, the man would have never seen it coming. One icicle to the back, drowned him on dry land, heck even a hunting knife laid an arms length away, but I was paralyzed with fear. He sent a fire blast at her. Without bending she never stood a chance, her flesh started to melt, but by that time she wasn't screaming anymore. The man walked out of our tent and called off the raid. They had only been there to kill whoever had been the water-bender.

"It wasn't until later that dad and Sokka arrived. I didn't tell them that I watched the whole thing from underneath the blankets. My dad knew what they had been after though, and he figured that she had taken my place in order to save our tribe and me from dying.

"From that day on, he never looked at me the same. I was the spitting image of my mother, and everyone could see it. I still see my mother when I look in a mirror and not myself sometimes, though I am getting at not. Back in the South Pole I was a constant reminder to myself, my father, and my tribe of what we had lost. Not just my mother, but also warriors, several families, and the children that ended up being half Fire Nation." I winced at the implications of that. "I was never allowed to practice water-bending in front of anyone, and the only person who regarded me with any type of kindness was my Gran-Gran and Sokka.

"Three years later when I was eleven, my father and several other men left our tribe to join the fight against the Fire Nation. Sokka and I have never seen nor heard from him since. Flash forward another three more years, and well..." she trailed off.

"You found the Avatar," I finished, she nodded.

"Traveling with Aang was the chance of a lifetime. If I could truly escape the tribe then when, or if, my father returned I would be nowhere to be found. He would have married me off if I had been there, and I would have been expected to become an obedient housewife. Even before I found Aang, I knew that I would hate that life." She closed her eyes tightly again, as she reigned in her emotions.

"If I had just been able to move, do something, my mother might still-" I grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't say that, don't even entertain those thoughts. He would have killed you both, and then maybe killed your entire village in rage. Your mother chose to end her life in an honorable way, and it seems to me that she knew she wasn't going to live," I said looking at her necklace. "She would be proud of what you're doing, and all that you will continue to do. And if your father can't see past your face, than he is an idiot. You should never have to look in a mirror and compare yourself to someone else, you're already amazing enough." WHAT. AM. I. SAYING. This girl has got to be a witch she's put me under a spell or something. I've never been good with words.

Suddenly, a pair of thin arms wrapped around my neck. She pulled back from her spontaneous hug blushing a bit. I was sure that my cheeks were on fire.

'Thank you Zuko, that means a lot to me." She looked down at the vial of spirit water that she held in her hand, then back up at me. "Are you sure?" she asked softly. I nodded.

"I don't need to get rid of my scar to be free," I responded, still wondering where all of this confidence and charisma was coming from. The part that was against me being mushy was back with a vengeance.

"Then you better take your own advice mister. You were just a kid trying to do what you thought was best. Your father should have been looking after you, not forcing you into a death fight against him. Even if he is a king. Your great " she finished with a little bit of a bossy tone. I could see right through it though, and this time I was the one who through my arms around her. By this point my mind had given up fighting against the weird reactions that this girl caused me to have.

"Thank you Katara," I whispered. She eased into the hug and put her arms around me.

"Your welcome Zuko," she replied. Within a few minutes, we had gone from being the worst of enemies to being able to reveal our strained pasts and hug each other. Before we could do anything else the wall to the cave was lowered to reveal The Avatar and my uncle staring at us in shock.

"I was wondering when you guys would show up," murmured Katara.

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**So, (peaks out from behind a rock) I hope that wasn't too bad of a beginning. I did condense Zuko's story figured he wouldn't share details, and yes I did change Katara's. I need hers to have a more bitter aftertaste in order to compare to Zuko's. I probably made their characters OoC, but I tried my best. The next ****c****hapter will be released in two days.**

**O****riginally Published: October 16, 2014**

**Word Count (Without Author's Notes): 2,160 words **

**Universe: Alternate **


	2. Zuko : II

**A/N: Hi, okay, I know that I said that it would be two days, but my stupid Internet connection wasn't working, so yeah... I hope I didn't rush it, but it did kind of write itself because Azula's little speech, and Iroh's is still mostly the same. It was fun writing Zuko's thoughts to it. Thank you so much for the reviews already, I have a feeling this is going to be a great story. **

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**WARNING: If any of you follow the time line, you will note that I had the siege of Ba Sing Se happen five years earlier, when Azula was five and Zuko seven. He's about a year and a half older than her I think. So it would be about 90 years after the Air Nomad Genocide. **

**Zuko's POV**

I never thought that I would be resentful when encountering the Avatar. Sightings of him never brought me good luck, but I always enjoyed the chance of being able to capture him. This time though I found myself peeved beyond belief as he walked into mine and Katara's crystal cell.

"Katara!" He ran across the cave to where she sat against the wall, and gathered her in his arms. He shot me a glare, and I couldn't help but want to rip the kid to pieces. I sent him an equally forceful glare, that neither of us were willing to give up until my uncle came and pulled me into his arms. I felt my chest constrict at his open display of affection.

"Thank Agni you are alright," he whispered. I pulled back slightly from the hug, and saw that he had tears streaming down his face. I knew that he cared; he had always cared, but I didn't realize he would be so concerned about me chasing after Azula.

"Of course I'm alright uncle," I responded in kind, my voice nearly breaking with the emotion I poured into it. I could feel Katara and the Avatar's stares on my back, so this time I fully pulled away from my uncle.

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" I asked, trying to direct the attention away from me. The boy finally released Katara and I felt my body relax; I really have no say in whatever these strange feelings are, do I? In a somewhat cocky tone the last Airbender replied.

"Saving you, that's what." He was still glaring daggers at my head. I had just about enough of this kid's attitude, and I started to walk over to give him a piece of my mind, when my uncle placed an arm in front of my chest; barring me back from physically assaulting the annoying twelve year old. I looked back at him and he gave a small shake of his head. I let my anger disparate quickly; Azula was still on the move, and trying to take control of Ba Sing Se. The last thing that I needed to be doing was letting my emotions control me.

"Zuko, it's time we talked." My uncle looked over to Katara and Aang. "Go help you other friends, they will probably be located in a metal cell up on the higher levels. Avoid the attention of the Dai Li soldiers, and think up a plan to defeat them. Azula's control over them is not absolute. They need power, they crave it even, and that is what they will look for in a leader. If we can manage to destroy her image entirely then they will no longer follow her. Then we will need to careful as they've shown they can't be trusted. Maybe Toph can find some advantage by using her metalbending." I looked at my uncle in shock.

"Metalbending!" Katara and I said at the same time. We caught each others gaze before quickly turning away. I felt a small blush try to creep up onto my cheeks. If anything the Avatar's frown deepened.

"Yeah, Toph has finally become the greatest Earth-bender to ever live, she's invented Metalbending. She got caught by a guy that her parents hired and a bounty hunter that he hired. They put her in a metal box, and she created the technique in order to get herself out, it's pretty awesome to watch," he explained. Katara nodded along, hardly shocked, as if creating a new type of bending was an everyday occurrence.

"Go on you two, me and my nephew will catch up with you later," I watched as Katara's hand was grabbed by the young Airbender and they walked out of the crystal prison. Then, just at the exit, she went and glanced back at me. Her eyes wide and innocent, but I did not forget the look of contempt that they had held only minutes beforehand. That innocence was a lie, but why did she continue with it? She was strong enough without this charade, because that was what the innocence was; a charade. She had lost it a long time ago, when people from my nation destroyed her village and killed her mother. I knew that I had seen the real Katara, as we were trapped here in this crystal cavern. The Katara who was hurting just as much, if not more, than the rest of her group. That Katara that had a mean streak, could hold a grudge, and be ruthless in her pursuit of what she wanted.

She was fair and kind though. I knew that those emotions were true; it's just she was forcing herself to use those ones when her gut told she should be reacting entirely different. What surprised me though was that she was ready to forgive me, and all the terrible things that I had done against her, her brother, the little blind girl, and the Avatar. She hated the Fire Nation, so why would she be willing to forgive the person who represented it in her mind? I actually wanted to meet and talk to the real Katara if only just for a moment longer, just so if I could find answers to my questions.

Or I could just be reading way too much into her reactions and the conversation that had only lasted minutes between us.

She could just be another war torn child like anyone else, and I might be drawing way too many conclusions from nothing. I wasn't convinced though. Shaking myself out of my thoughts I turned back to my uncle who had remained strangely quiet.

"Why, Uncle?" I questioned. "Why come back for me at all, I've been nothing but horrible these past three years. Dragging you all the way around the globe trying to restore my _honor._" I sneered at the very thing that I so desperately been wishing for all these years; it now tasted like poison in my mouth. I looked away from my uncle not wanting to see his face. I felt his hand once again lightly touch my shoulder.

"I came back, because you're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You have grown so much stronger and wiser. And now you are freer than you have ever been. You never lost your honor in the first place, my boy. If anything, your honor has become stronger and kinder. I mean I expected many things when I came to find you down here, hugging the water tribe girl was not one of them." We both lightly chuckled, he had a point. A few months ago I probably would have ripped her head off for touching me like that, but now it just felt... natural.

"You have come to the crossroads of your destiny, and I want to be here to see you choose. I have personally decided to join the Avatar in the quest for justice against all the things my brother has done to our world. Now it is _your_ time to choose, but I want you to remember that, whatever you decide to choose, I am oh so very proud of you." I almost couldn't believe what he was saying. Joining the Avatar; now that I had expected of my uncle, but being proud of me, wanting me to choose my own destiny. My uncle always managed to surprise me one way or another.

Sadly our moment of goodwill could not last any longer, a giant amount of crystal was bended up and through the Earth and surrounded my uncle so that he could not move nor firebend. I quickly fell into defensive stance ready to take on whoever was coming my way.

"Well, well, well, look at this. A nice family reunion huh?" preened a voice from the top of the cavern. I cringed at the sophisticated and controlled tones. I had slowly forgone my formal and demanding speech in order to fit in with the commoners of the Earth Kingdom. Sure I knew how to play the pompous prince, but that wasn't who I was. Not anymore at least.

"Azula!" exclaimed my uncle, she was also flanked by two Dai Li agents. My face morphed into that of anger and distrust, my sister was not one to be messed with. She almost always had an ulterior motive in everything she did, and the only person she was ever fully truthful with was my father. Even at that, who knew what thoughts slipped through her mind.

However I could stop the few stray thoughts that began whispering at the back of my mind. She hadn't always been like that, in fact up until she had been five, and I seven, she was a completely normal little sister. A little annoying, but sweet, kind, and all around well loved by everyone in the palace. Suddenly, though one day she just stopped being like that. She became cruel and would laugh at others misfortune. Where once she had asked for things to be done for her, she demanded it instead. If you somehow managed to fail to please her; well banishment was more preferable then what her devious mind thought up as punishment.

Around that same time I realized that my mother started to treat her differently too. No longer would she spend hours playing with Azula in her room, or help brush her hair, or get ready for balls and social gatherings. She would instead focus all her attention on me, so while Azula preened and flourished under the praises of our father I was the one that our mother treasured. I curse whatever it had been that changed my sweet and loving sister into the cold cruel monster that now stood before me.

"You know I really did expect this kind of treachery from Uncle. I mean what more can you expect from the man who left a war to go and mourn," her laugh sent shivers down my spine. "A weak man who never deserved to rule in the first place, we are all very lucky that father took the throne, or who knows what could have happened. You might have done something ridiculous like stop the war," she continued.

"This war is what is ridiculous my niece," he replied. Azula scoffed, and then turned her attention to me, her golden eyes sparkled menacingly. Abruptly, they seemed to soften a bit, and she waved her hand for the guards to leave the room. I hoped that Katara and the Avatar had gotten far enough away in order to rescue their friends.

"My dear brother, how good is it to see you again," she smiled sweetly. I cringed at the look. It was unnatural for it to adorn her face. She was a slightly psychotic Fire Princess, not a sweet, fun loving, 15 year old girl. "Zuko," she pleaded, "Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" she asked in an innocent tone. I gritted my teeth, clenched my jaw, and readjusted my defensive stance.

"Release him immediately." I yelled at her, but she paid me no attention. I figured she had to be even battier than I thought, because, even to me, she was making no sense.

"It's not too late for you, Zuzu. You can still redeem yourself." I had to hold in a bark of harsh laughter. Yeah right, I was so far past her and father's definition of redemption, that I don't even remember when it happened. Why she even thinks I will ever willingly go back, or father truly welcoming me back, is beyond me.

Though for a moment I do entertain the thought. I have to. I wished for years for my family, my father and Azula, to welcome me with open arms. With my father returning my right of crown prince, and of the Fire Nation finally concurring the world. Of the more mundane things such as walking around Ember Island square, playing at the beach, my father teaching me firebending moves, and relaxing in the place gardens where the turtleducks played.

I shook my head, such ridiculous fantasies were impossible. I had finally tasted what true freedom was, and I never wanted to let that go again. If I agreed to return with Azula I would forever be forced into a role that I no longer wanted. I wonder what my younger self would think of me now. Dressed in Earthbender clothing, with my hair a mess, my feelings sending me on a turbulent ride because of a mere Water Tribe peasant girl, and scorning the thought of returning to my birth country. He would probably be appalled.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you, my boy. Remember what I told you all those years ago," he said to me.

I did remember, it was actually around the time the Azula had started acting strange. Uncle had given up on the siege at Ba Sing Se only weeks beforehand. I had met Lu Ten a couple of times, but I had never talked with the man that was my uncle much. That day it was only my second or third time approaching him. We talked for a long while about inconsequential things. Near the end of our talk though I asked him a question.

"_Uncle Iroh, __sir, __why is my sister being so mean lately. It's like she is an entirely different person," _I asked. He looked at me with a long face, I could never understand why. He got off the bench that we both sat on and he knelt in front of me so that he could look straight into my eyes.

"_Times are tough young one. Horrible things are bing done, and I have sadly only just realized it. __Your sister-," _he looked indecisive. _"I want you to keep in mind one piece of advice nephew; Azula always lies." _He said this is the most serious of tones, as if it held some deeper meaning.

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? He doesn't constantly need your pathetic advice," she snapped at him jarring me out of my thought once again. "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day," she made a fist. "This is a glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."

She was a smooth talker, and boy did her words strike deep. She knew exactly what she had to say in order for me to come over to her side. What she didn't know though is that I was already firmly placed where I wanted to be. I glared at her a bit more forcefully.

"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want," pleaded my uncle. I wanted so bad to turn around and see his face. Tell him that I knew what path I was going to take, but I couldn't not with Azula standing right there. I stood my ground and tried to look as if I was contemplating her offer.

"You are free to choose, dear brother," she said stretching out the brother. I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she insinuating by calling me brother? "Just remember that I won't wait forever." With that she turned around and walked out of the entrance that the two Dai Li agents had made earlier. It didn't close behind her.

"Zuko," called my uncle. I finally turned around and faced him. He had broken out of the crystal and was shaking the excess pieces off. "Before you make a decision, there is something that I must tell you. Something that should have told you a long time ago, but I didn't. Do you remember what you asked all those many years ago when you were seven." I nodded, wondering what it had to do with anything.

"Yes, I asked you why my sister was acting so cruel. You responded with _"Azula always lies," _but you never told me why." We started walking over to where Katara and Aang had left earlier. He placed a hand on my shoulder; his face looked similar to of the day which I first asked the question.

"That is because I unknowingly overheard a conversation between my brother and a duke. They had something planned, a terrible deed, and I wish I could have stopped it." We were now wandering through the catacombs hoping we could find where Katara and the Avatar had gone.

"Nephew, despite what you might believe, that person that we saw in there was not your sister. Ozai had your real sister and that girl switched long ago because the real Azula couldn't firebend. That is how we are going to defeat her; she believes herself to be a princess we must take that confidence away from her." He looked at me, but I couldn't say a word all I could do was stare at him in shock.

"I don't know where the real Azula is, but I do have reason to believe that she might be alive. Zuko your real sister might still be alive."

It took all I had not to faint on the spot.

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**WHAT! Azula's not Azula, next thing you know I'm going to... Oh wait I am doing that. Surprises in store for everyone. I think I left enough clues in this chapter so that the reveal at the end wasn't that misguided. But if you think this is big, just wait until we get farther along in the story. We haven't even gotten out of the Crossroads of destiny episode yet. Once we do though, stuff is going to start hitting the fan if you know what I'm saying. **

**Thank you so much for the first 6 people to review my story, I'm so grateful. I also have 18 follows, and it's only been 5 days. I'm floored, truly I am. **

**Originally Published: October 21, 2014**

**Word Count: 2907**


	3. Katara : III

**I'm a horrible, horrible person. This is what I have to give you, I hope you enjoy it. It doesn't make up for my year and a half of absence, but that is the best I can do. I am still heading with the twist I made at the end of the last chapter, but I have gone and pulled another twist that has just set the whole story on its head. I know have to go and figure out how to restructure my old plot notes with this new development. Regardless I hope you all will enjoy the chapter. **

**Some of this is taken from the actual episode, and some of it is not. If you watch it, you'll see what I changed. **

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**Katara's POV**

Racing through the underground tunnels was almost helping me to forget about the moment I had just had with _Zuko_. The very same Zuko who had been chasing us for months all around the world. The very same arrogant,

_He wasn't though; he was entirely humble in the cavern._

spoiled,

_He looked so gaunt; had grown an inch or two, but he was still so thin._

cow-pigged,

_...Okay there isn't much to counter with there._

Prince

_Even that isn't true anymore. _

who wanted to capture the Avatar.

I shook my head of the conflicting thoughts that gathered there. Yes, he had been kind, had offered a shoulder and an ear, and he didn't judge my anger or my masks, but that didn't mean anything though. Right?

Finally Aang and I entered a giant cavern. There was a pool of water filtered into channels which was fed by a giant waterfall. The crystals gave off a weird lighting making the cavern look like something right out of a fairy tale. The only sounds were the waterfall, which was strangely quiet, and our heavy breathing. Aang and I stopped for a moment in order to rest, we had been running for almost ten minutes.

"I think we've almost reached the surface, once we're there we have to find Sokka, Toph, and King Kuei, I've already arranged a place to hop on Appa. We'll be able to get out of the city from there," Aang explained as we, slowly, made our way across the large cavern. A feeling of disbelief arouse from within me.

"Get out of the city? As in leave it in the clutches of Azula, her cronies, and the _Fire Nation_?" My volume dropped, as I practically hissed the final words. Aang looked taken aback for a moment. I dropped my gaze and calmed myself. Talking with Zuko had dropped my barriers, but I needed them in place now. I did not have the liberty of being able to turn on my allies if I lose my cool, not while we were up against Azula.

"What else is there to do?" He asked defensively. "The entire Dai Li is against us, and the people of the city are in no way prepared to do anything but sit there, so we really have no other option. Besides Sokka and I talked on the way here, and the plan is to meet up with the resistance movement that is preparing for an attack on the day of the Black Sun. It is headed by your father, and I really…" I tuned him out after that.

My father.

We would be retreating, running away, to a resistance movement ran by my father. On one hand I would be glad to see him. He was my father after all, and Sokka and I hadn't heard a word from him in three years, on the other though…

_Eyes flashing in disappointment…_

_Guilt, depression, tears, sadness… _

_Anger… Loathing…. Hatred_….

On the other hand I wouldn't know how to handle being around him. I had changed so much since the daughter he had left almost three years ago. Even more so in the past couple of months. Battling soldiers, training with waterbending masters, being a leader, a mother, and someone to lean on. I didn't think I could handle returning to the person I once was. The person that he knew. There was very little chance that we would ever be able to ever fit into each other's worlds again.

"... General Iroh will be meeting us there, and I can begin my firebending training. I really think we have a better chance at surviving if we leave while we have the chance rather than going up against the Dai Li." Aang kept on explaining, oblivious that I wasn't paying attention. Suddenly we heard footsteps running against the ground, and a rush of fire.

Aang and I turned around quickly, Azula was standing right there in a offensive stance. Smirk on her face, and blue flames hurtling towards us. Aang bended a giant rock-berg in front of us, but the flames broke right through it, sending us stumbling backwards. Regaining my balance, I ran along the side the channels of water, and swept up a wave of water to begin my attack.

Crashing it down on top of the Fire Princess, she blocked the water with a large arch of fire which turned it into a cloud of steam that blocked her from view. I didn't wait for her to emerge, so bending two long water whips from the channels, I lashed them into the dense steam cloud hoping I would hit her. I didn't.

Azula ran out of the steam untouched by my whips, but now I could see her. Aang dodged to one side and bent a sphere of air to try to knock her off balance. She somersaulted into the air, bouncing off the sphere and landed on a rock formation. My masks almost slipped once more, and I nearly screamed at him. '_She will kill us if she has the chance!', _I thought in my mind. Trying to subdue or off balance her won't last. If we didn't at least try to severely incapacitate the crazy firebending prodigy she would never stop fighting. Even then, cow-pig-headedness ran in her family, so it was likely that she wouldn't stop until her last breath.

She had made that perfectly clear when she had trailed us around the Earth Kingdom with as much dedication as her older brother had done trailing us up to the Northern Water Tribe.

A determined scowl appeared on my face; we had more to lose than just the city. We had the world, and our lives at stake. It was time to start acting as if we really are at war, because that might be the only mentality that is going to get us to win. Azula was certainly not going to take prisoners, and so we shouldn't either. Before, when Zuko was our enemy, he had fought to incapacitate and capture us, while we had fought to escape and run another day.

We no longer had that luxury.

Azula was one of the most powerful benders we had ever encountered, but she wasn't just powerful she was also sharp and quick. Her strength lied not only in her power, but in her ability to think fast too. She was ruthless, and I was almost certain that she was on her way to insanity with the way she acted. All it would take would be one thing to go wrong, and she would explode. That wasn't good for many reasons, one being she was the last barrier between us and the Fire Lord. With Zuko and Iroh being declared traitors, if Azula was to go insane, we would then be dealing with direct attention from the Fire Lord. I doubted that he would come after us personally, but defeating the two factions that he sent out to capture and or kill us would not be good for our continued survival.

Aang, Sokka, Toph and I had grown irresponsible with the time and position we had been given while we here as guests. Granted it was nice to receive a vacation; one that was very needed too, and Toph had been training Aang, but we had truly wasted time. Now we were paying for it dearly; Azula and her cronies had almost overrun the entire city. But not yet. We still had a chance to win Ba Sing Se back. If we had what was necessary to win. If we could fight, and in the end, kill to win.

It made me shiver inside that I was thinking of killing another human being. It reminded me too much of the monster that had decimated my tribe and killed my mother, or Jet's disregard for the innocents in the Earth Kingdom village. I had to push myself past it though, without sacrifice there was nothing worth fighting for. Without pain and suffering there would be no peace and joy. Those cycles would never come to fruition as long as the Fire Nation held an iron grip over the rest of the world.

My mind was made up.

Aang broke the rock formation she landed on. Not waiting for her to regain her balance, I sent two tendrils of water to grab her. The princess blasted them back with some blue fire, but she stumbled as she hit the ground. Whipping out a thin but sturdy line of water, I lashed at her feet causing her to land on her backside.

Suddenly Azula's body was molded into the ground. A layer of earth covered her, trapping the golden eyed Princess in a way that allowed no movement. The perfect cell. The only thing that was not covered was her head; she shrieked in indignation. While her face was visible she could not move an inch.

"Hey, that actually worked!" exclaimed a bright high pitched voice. Toph! I quickly turned to see Sokka, Toph, and a few men in prisoner uniforms enter the giant cavern. Sokka rushed to me and gave me a look over to see if I was okay. In the background Azula's screams of frustration and descriptive threats rang out, but as she was securely trapped we all tried to give them no mind.

After hellos and hugs were exchanged, I wanted to know how they got down here when the entirety of the Dai Li, along with Mai, and Ty Lee were against them? Who were the prisoners, and where was the King?

"That's the good news, after Aang and Iroh left to go find you and Zuko we looked around the rest of the dungeon, and it turns out there were a bunch of Dai Li agents who were imprisoned because they refused to follow Azula's lead. We freed them, and went to go take out whoever stood in our way while we searched for Bosco. We snuck up on Ty Lee and Azula, and Toph knocked them out with," Sokka sent a wary look over to Toph who had a nonchalant smirk on her face, "unnecessarily large boulders to the head." I formed a disproving look on my face like I was expected to, but to be honest both of those girls were dangerous, and excess force was most definitely required.

"Even if they manage to wake up any time soon," continued Sokka, "we locked them in full body metal casts located in some of the dungeons. Although generally used for earthbenders, we weren't going to take any chances with those two freaks." I shuddered remembering Ty Lee's chi blocking technique, not being able to bend was positively frightening.

"The rest of the Dai Li that we didn't leave watching over the circus freak and gloom girl, came with me and we took out all of the other agents pretty quickly." Said Toph, the grin that could be found on her face was terrifying. At the end of the day, Toph was a good person, but sometimes she scared me. I was better off not knowing, or asking, what the terrifying twelve year had done to the earthbending guards to knock them out.

"So why did you two come down here?" Aang asked to two men. I looked them both over, one man was slightly older, he had the beginnings of a beard and what looked to be a cheery disposition, while the other didn't look any older than 25, had no beard, and looked a bit more serious. He stepped forward and gave Aang a bow.

"We actually came down to watch over you all, and provide any support in case we came across any other agents who weren't with the main group. I'm Te Sung, and my friend here is Dei Fue." I thought they both seemed trustworthy people, and it was true that if we ran across anymore groups we could use some extra help.

"Well then where is King Kui?" Aang asked. I was starting to get the feeling that we might actually be able to stay in the city. I couldn't help but to imagine how the war would start to go if we had an actual opposition against the Fire Nation. A real army with money, resources, and trained professionals who knew how to fight a war. Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I had been lucky up to this point, but we really had no clue what we were doing. Toph had been kept locked up her whole life, Aang had lived with peaceful monks until he left, and while Sokka and I had a bit of tactical training from the warriors in our tribe, and from the northern warriors, it was nowhere near enough to be properly used against the fully trained monster that was the Fire Nation. We struggled sometimes just to get food and supplies, much less running away from Zuko or Azula. Our luck was going to run out eventually, and then the world's last hope would be gone.

It was time to start working with people who knew what they were doing instead of going at this alone.

"He's up in the palace organizing everyone, and calming down the staff," explained Sokka. "He's taken to this whole ruling thing like a turtleduck does to water. Him and the faithful Dai Li agents were locking everyone else up in the dungeons when we came down here. He says that we, and anyone else we invite, are welcome to stay here, and use whatever resources that he has available in order to combat the Fire Nation. He seems pretty sorry over the whole matter." I was practically beaming with excitement. Finally, our chance to accomplish something.

We heard our guards gasp, as shouting rang out from the other side of the cavern. Two Dai Li agents dressed in full gear came running closer, and they bended Azula out of Toph's makeshift prison. She flipped out and landed gracefully in front of the two men. Her smirk had gone from cocky to feral.

"Well it looks like we didn't get all of them," Sokka stated. Azula shot forward a large burst of fire, and we all scrambled out of the way. I saw my brother dive behind a large group of crystals. Good; Sokka was useful in a fight, especially with non-benders that we didn't want to kill, but in this enclosed space the last place he needed to be was in the middle of a fight that had nothing but intense bending.

"I almost feel sorry for these dodos," Toph grinned. Te, Dei, and her advanced on the two Dai Li agents, while Aang and I took on Azula. It didn't take long before the cavern was drowned in the sounds of battle, Fire and water met with a hiss, and rocks crashed making horrible booming sounds. I lost myself in the sensation of power and adrenaline. I had only been fighting for several months, but it was one of the greatest feelings in the world, it made me feel strong and alive.

Although both Aang and I were fighting against her Azula had her attacks focused on me; constantly flinging fire bursts my way. I deflected them blow for blow, all my thoughts and attention converging on this fight. One misstep and I would be charred under the onslaught of the fire princesses blue flames.

My ice caught her feet, I willed it to break her clothes and skin. Her eyes tightened in pain; she did not utter a sound.

She sent her flames to my head. Ducking to avoid and counter them, the edges of my hair were singed. I ignored it.

Death became a dance, and time lost all meaning.

I vaguely remembered Aang slipping away to help Toph and the guards, as several more fully dressed Dai Li agents entered the battlefield. They were far enough away from our battle that Azula and I hardly noticed the rest of them. Inattention for even just a second could seriously injure or kill us now.

I ducked behind a rock formation to avoid a quick fire blast that I didn't have water to counteract. My eyes momentarily closed as I felt the heat envelop the area. Lunging forward I fell behind a rock construction of Toph's. I ran along its edge back toward the channels, and sweeping up a wave of water hoping to come up from behind Azula.

Unfortunately when I disappeared from sight, her attention had gone and slipped from me to another.

Aang.

Faced away helping Toph and Te and Dei, Aang was unaware of the danger that had zeroed in on him. Looking back on the fight, it was only a few seconds between realizing what Azula was going to do, and the stance that she took.

As the air darkened around her from the power she was drawing forth there was no time to even give out a scream. In my eyes, time slowed down in such a way that I was powerless, and could do nothing but watch the wreck that was about to become the world.

Then my words from earlier came to mind.

_She wouldn't stop until her last breath._

_Without sacrifice there was nothing worth fighting for. _

_Without pain there would be no peace. _

_Without suffering there would be no joy._

_In the end... kill to win._

I wish now, I could say that there had been hesitation, that there was remorse or guilt for the thoughts that prompted my actions. Unfortunately both then and now, I can say that there was no such thing.

I dipped into stance.

Flicked my wrist.

And sent a shard of ice flying toward Azula.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Right into her heart.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

**Yeah, that just happened. **

**Originally Published: May 23, 2016**

**Word Total: 3,158**


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